The 2015 Ikeys Black Tie Dinner was held at Kelvin Grove on Thursday 10 September to celebrate another great season .It was attended by 280 UCT old boys and friends of the club, who enjoyed Ikeys entertainment at its best while celebrating many reunions in a relaxed atmosphere.

Notable reunions were 2001/2002, 2005 and 2007 Trojan reunion tables.

The pre-drinks session went on for longer than was planned as old friendships were renewed and lots of catching up was done. Eventually everybody had to be chased into the main dining area to start the formal program.

UCT’s MC Anton Taylor was back in great form and guided the entertaining event with his trademark humor, mostly at the expense of the False Bay table and John Dobson. The Bay Table and its familiar faces had the last laugh having beaten the Ikeys the week before and Dobbo was able to respond in like as the guest speaker.

Guest Speaker: John “Dobbo” Dobson

Dobbo spoke in his usual, zany, humorous way, sharing funny anecdotes about Ikey, Western Province and Springbok Rugby, which had the audience in stitches. A number of people in the audience were also targets for his wit, in particular Rob Wagner CEO of WP Rugby and former Boks Hanyani Shimange and Robbie Fleck.

Players honoured

The players who were due to leave to compete at the World University Rugby Cup in England were wished good luck for the tournament and were given a huge round of applause.

At last it was the famous “Heads or Tails” game, expertly conducted by the Anton Taylor that had the guests on their feet.

More magic in 2016

Thanks again to all the sponsors and contributors to the event. A big thank you also goes to all the guests who made the dinner so memorable.

There aren’t too many ex Springbok rugby players around like Ian McCallum. In fact, there are not too many men around like Ian McCallum. His profile reads like something out of Walter Mitty’s dreams.

The essential difference is that Ian has done all those things Walter Mitty might have conjured up in his fertile imagination ; and is continuing to do those he chooses to pursue even now, with his customary flair, passion and commitment.

As a young university rugby player Ian started to apply his trademark determination and ability to focus on a goal when, with the help of a teacher at his high school, he became not just another promising rugby player, but the deadliest goal kicker with the old ‘fat’ heavy rugby ball, in South Africa.

So successful was Ian in his Springbok rugby career that many years later the greatest All Black of the 20th Century, Colin ‘Pinetree’ Meads was heard to growl into his beer; ‘That little bugger beat us on his own! ‘

Ian McCallum played fullback for UCT during the period 1968 to 1973. He represented Western Province and the Springboks (1970 to 1974) and played against the touring 1970 All Blacks and British Lions. Ian is a medical doctor, analytical psychologist, psychiatrist and an adjunct professor in Earth Stewardship Science. He is a specialist wilderness guide, an author and poet as well as a director of the Wilderness Foundation.

He is the author of two anthologies of wilderness poems: Wild Gifts (1999), Untamed (2012) and a novel Thorns to Kilimanjaro (2000). His award winning book Ecological Intelligence – Rediscovering Ourselves in Nature addresses the interconnectedness of all living things and ultimately, the survival of the human animal. It won the Wild Literary Award at the World Wilderness Congress in Mexico 2009.

He recently completed a four-month expedition following ancient elephant migratory routes across southern Africa. The expedition –Tracks of Giants- began on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast on 1 May 2012 and ended at Cape Vidal on the KZN coastline on 2 September. Together with his long-time friend and journalist Ian Michler, the two adventurers walked, cycled and kayaked the entire 5164 Km journey un-motorised. The expedition focused on two key objectives – the importance of establishing international animal migratory corridors between established national parks in home countries and secondly, to explore the psychological and economic issues associated with the co-existence of human communities and wild animals.

Ian’s other interests include wildlife photography – he won the Agfa Wildlife ‘Man and Nature’ category in 2001, astronomy and sport. His academic interests focus on evolutionary biology, human ecology and the animal-human interface (what we learn about ourselves from the wild). Ian is a trustee of the Cape Leopard Trust. Visit his websites at

Throughout all these milestone achievements, Ian has retained his greatest gift of all. There are numerous ex rugby players who have gone on to great achievements across the spectrum of life, but very few are such gifted story tellers, in spoken word and in print. Ian McCallum has the rare gift of leading one through an adventure, a happening, a dramatic moment, or a funny incident, with quiet humility, wit and wisdom. The world needs story tellers and men of the calibre of Ian McCallum.

Doctor Cecil Moss, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, is now the oldest living Springbok rugby player. We pay tribute to “Doc Moss”.

If you seek to understand what makes Cecil Moss the UCT, W.P and Springbok rugby player a man who epitomizes the combination of a rugby player, professional medical luminary, rugby coach, and a fine example to all as a man in the amateur era of rugby; get hold of his book by hook or by crook. My copy occupies a special place on my bookshelf.

One of the very fine players and men Cecil nurtured, mentored and developed to his full potential is Ian McCallum, UCT, W.P, and Springbok fullback. Ian, a man of deep understanding of what makes men tick, when asked by your scribe to encapsulate the core of what made Cecil Moss an exceptional rugby coach, pondered briefly and said; ‘I can say it in one sentence: Cecil was a superb man manager, a mentor, a guide, a friend. He could lift you up when you had a poor game, and he could bring you gently down to earth when you floated too high in the rugby clouds’ O.K, that is two sentences. Cecil deserves all the praise and acclaim many would express if I had asked them.

I was never coached by Cecil, so the man I have got to know is from the viewpoint of a somewhat battered ex lock and very proud UCT rugby man after his illustrious coaching career ended. UCT has had such fine men coaching them over the years that it is enough to say that I found my chats to Doc Moss at the Sports Science Centre, where he headed the older brigade in quiet, unobtrusive workouts, a reason to go to the Palace of Pain. Cecil’s knowledge of rugby is astonishing and his quiet, persuasive manner of imparting that knowledge, an object lesson to some of the modern, screaming and shouting hysterical poseurs, being paid a fortune for coaching by numbers. Cecil coached by careful thought, personal experience on the pitch and as Ian said, superb man management, was an exceptional coach as his record confirms. More importantly his legacy is the men he nurtured and mentored.

May your nineties be as fruitful as you deserve, Cecil, and we look forward to your century not out.